


A meeting planned

by LaureLey, Nobody_Alchemist



Series: Cadeyrn/Celestia [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Phone Calls & Telephones, Snippets, Swearing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 17:01:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18014834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaureLey/pseuds/LaureLey, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nobody_Alchemist/pseuds/Nobody_Alchemist
Summary: Vague hints of Henry/MervynJust to meet them, at least once, their father would invite them all to a nice, friendly get together.





	A meeting planned

"I want to meet them, duckies." The simple handful of words their father threw their way snagged a grin out of Esteban's full lips. Her brother settled his weight back onto the legs of his chair, tilting it lightly with his feet as he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, hardly being subtle about his tease.

"Yer in for it," the boy mock-whispered, mischief dancing brightly into his cloudless eyes. Across the table, their father raised a single eyebrow, but didn't comment yet, giving her ample time to speak her own mind at her teasing brother. Adopted they may be, but there was no denying their bond-- no matter how stupid he could get sometimes.

"In fer whut?" she threw back, an eyebrow raised at her brother's tease, wondering where he was coming from. "'f anyone's in fer sum'thin', it's you. Didja make it official with da poor gal yet or ye're gonna keep 'er on 'er toes forever?" she tease back, eyes lightly slanted in victory and smirk like the great tigress she was.

"Hun?" Confusion marred his brow, and his lips followed suit in a reckless pout, his head even tilting to his statement. "Rain an' I aren't that kinda thing, ya know? She's too cute and sweet-- we ain't gonna manage past a month together." Large, tall shoulders shrugged with the ease of someone so utterly clueless that he wouldn't see past his own nose. Esteban was too much of a dunce to realize her feelings for him, and worse still, he hadn't even noticed his feelings for her.

Even Henry-- even their father raised a brow at this, and if Mervyn had been there, he'd have no doubts shaken some loud claims into Esteban's ear-- but-- well.... maybe it was for the best that he hadn't been along when the little family had sat down for this discussion. His antiquated ways were endearing on occasion-- but difficult to bear when he disagreed. At least Henry managed him well enough, even though his little lover still dared utter "but you're a girl" in her direction whenever she managed to shock him to speechlessness again. Served him right.

".... poor lil' thing..." to witness her brother be the dense idiot he was filled the small engineer with pity for the poor girl who looked up to him with all the hope of the world inside her eyes. She barely met her more than a few seconds, and she could see how high Rain held Esteban in her esteem, almost like a god, despite his blindness to her attentions. The very thought brought Cel to pass a had through her face in exasperation. "Ye're so fuckin' dense sum'times, 't 'urts." She couldn't keep it in. Not when her brother was being so moronic, especially with someone's feelings on the line.

"Says you!" His tone rose and the feet of his chair clacked as they touched the cool stone floor again as Esteban flushed a dark bronze tone at her comment. "I'm bein' realistic, Sis-- Rain's gonna find herself a cute sweet boy like the one that paints 'cross the water-ways, an' she ain't gonna want me then. I'm gorgeous, but I ain't datin' material."

Tall, mountainous Esteban would have seemed a lot more intimidating if he wasn't quite as expressive as he allowed himself to be, his nose even scrunching up into the suggestion that his sister had brought up. Eyes blue like a summer sky peering up from sun-bronzed cheeks and the quick grin that made him the subject of many a wet-dream, her brother was... unused to being courted for something more long-term than a bang and a night. His first girl had just wanted that-- and now, well. There wasn't much change since then, just an endless string of names. No wonder he didn't get it-- no matter how many hopeful, doe-eyed looks the young woman sent him when she thought he wasn't looking.

"Dude, as gorgeous as ye are, ye're sellin' yerself short dere..." his little sister sighed, saddened to hear her brother belittling so much. "Ya think dat dis lil' gal o' yers is so amazin' dat ya ain't worth havin' her attentions all over ya? Dat ya can't take care of 'er if she ever needs ya? Fer fuck's sake, Steb, 'ave ya SEEN yerself 'roun 'er? Ye're basically puppy dragonin' all over 'er like she's sum kind o' amazin' treasure y'never wanna let go, 'n ya come 'ere ta say dat ya 'ave ZERO feelin's fer 'er?" Her gaze was sharp and questioning, wishing that he would get the fucking hint and find that he also deserved to have a 'sweet and cute' as his girlfriend.

Henry finally laid his hand onto the table, palm flat and fingers spread; a simple indication that such matters ought to be closed for now. Her brother looked away, grim and with a dark gaze, but not upset, and Henry called back the attention onto himself, rather than to gaze at his son and daughter argue over something that was... that Esteban wasn't able to pin down still.

"I want to meet them both," their father reminded them, shifting his soft gaze to Celestia's golden one, and then back to Esteban. "Yours. And yours, my duckies." He paused and Esteban searched for an argument, but Henry would not let him get away with it.

"Is she dear to you, Esteban?" His father asked, neither belittling, or scolding; just a soft voiced question. The boy nodded wearily, befuddled at his approach, but unwilling to say that she was nothing either. He liked her. She was sweet. He couldn't date her, but she was sweet.

Cel's gaze turned away, annoyed to see her brother being such an idiot about this, but she knew it was wiser to just stop this now before things escalated out of proportions. With a sigh and closing her eyes momentarily, she let go of the subject and nodded instead.

"Sure thing, Pops. When?" she asked, concise and curious. "N are ya gonna invite Mervyn 'long too?"

"Mervyn is..." Henry trailed off, his smile still kind, and a little love-filled himself, but he didn't really want to speak of his troubles aloud and so he brushed it aside. Besides, he didn't need to say it specifically for his children to get the gist of it, and her father was always very careful to allow Mervyn to meet her only when she was well rested and comfortable. It gave her the confidence and awareness to push back his sexist misconceptions. She'd been raised quite fine with just one father after all, and even though she was more wilful than his smaller lover believed the gentler sex should be, Celestia was quite an outstanding woman in her own rights.

"Maybe this Friday? I have enough to make chicken skewers for everyone, if you don't mind grilling them, little dragon." Esteban was six feet too tall to be little anymore, but the endearment still made him grin and nod, before -- of course-- he shook his head. "Can't. Rain an' Cade won't mesh that well." If Celestia's silver-eyed lover could barely stand her brother as it was, the dragon didn't want to imagine what would happen to poor meek little Rain, and just the thought of it made him shudder. "Maybe meetin' them apart's for the best?"

"Jus' cuz Cade doesn't... Eerrr... See eye ta eye wit' ya-" the cadet tried to put mildly although she was aware how her lover had no patience with Esteban's temperament. "Doesn' mean he gonna go savage on yer lil' protégée, Steb."

If anything, Cade would take pity on the poor girl and would refrain in making her feel more uncomfortable than she probably would be. That or he'd politely snap at Steb's density. Either or, she knew he won't be callous towards Rain even if annoyed

"That'd feel a lot more comfortin' if yer lover wasn't fuckin' elitist; c'mon, Cel!" Her brother countered back, huffing. "What d'ya ev'n see in that guy?!" His temper flashed into his eyes, and Henry immediately called the room back to attention, before his kids could do something that they would regret later on.

"Esteban." His voice was low, dark. It quietened the room like distant thunder, and the boy settled back down into his chair, sullen, his arms crossing on the table. Their father's pale eyes shifted over to Celestia instead, reaching out to pat both his children's hands as the awkward silence lingered, quiet, before his soft chuckle startled both his children.

"You are that protective of her then?" 

\-- Oh!

Of course Esteban wasn't upset for himself, he had never even bothered correcting Cadeyrn when they were together after all, and he even seemed to have taken it as a game to upset the older man, doing the things that would darken the stormy eyes and make a quick quip appear to his pierced lips. Oh no; he'd gotten upset, because the thought of Cadeyrn saying these quips to the tiny girl... had reared the dragon's head over the thought, protective instincts rushing like a beast to think of the pain she might heed. It gnashed at the decorum of his cage behind Esteban's eyes, but Henry's ease and care settled his raised hackles like nothing else could, tense shoulders falling back to his sides as he pouted his prettiest pout.

Another glance from her father's eyes seemed to quietly inquire Celestia in the soft silence that followed, a gentle prod for a question left unanswered, but Henry didn't push. Of course he didn't-- he knew to respect his children's privacy after all- and though he wished to be included, she knew her father would never overstretch his rights to poke around where he wasn't welcome.

Celestia slightly relaxed as soon as her father turned to her. With a pout and a sigh, she leaned against the table, arms comfortably crossed. "A'll 'ave ta ask Cade, cuz 'e's mighty busy, but A'm sure he can make it. And unlike Steb tends ta believe, he ain't gonna snap n prod at Rain. He respectable n polite, most o' da times" no matter how annoyed he may be, he could very well read the room. Her last comment did make her grin almost lovingly... To her standards.

Henry's gaze remained on her longer than she would have expected, yet her father didn't say anything, and the spotlight was, instead, taken by Esteban, who mock-kicked her metallic shin to get her attention. "Careful, Cel-- yer spewing love-germs all over tha' kitchen table~" came his incredibly childish taunt, and Henry's gaze narrowed at the outburst, carefully seeing how far the teasing would go.

"Like A'm da only one doin' dat, shit'ead" she retorted still smirking, a hand lightly pushing on his head in retaliation. Despite her confident demeanour, she couldn't help but lightly blush as she did so.

"But Mervyn's not here--" her brother replied, his sky-bright orbs widening lightly into his confusion. Henry coughed rather suspiciously into his elbow, spinning out towards Celestia, and she noticed the creaks at the corners of her father's eyes, like little bird claws at the edge of his lashes. They hadn't quite disappeared when he'd turned yet back around, and Henry splayed his hand over the table again; a silent communication for them to be quiet.

"Well, then, invite him, little duckie. And you as well, Esteban. What comes of that evening will surely enlighten us all about their character, for better or worse, yes? And I am looking forwards to getting to know people who are precious to you, my dears." His smile remained, but his gaze faded somewhat, pale and pondering, lost in the space between them, where the small potted plant that Celestia had grown since she was fourteen sat, a flourish of thick green leaves and burgeoning blooms. A long time had passed since. Yet not nearly long enough.

"They will be precious to me as well." As his children were-- all of them.

"Y'know, jus' cuz dey're close ta us doesn't force ya ta like 'em too." she knew her father wouldn't hate them either, but if there was a chance ever, she didn't wish to force her father into anything; as much as he wouldn't force anything on his children.

"Oh? Are you such poor judges of character then?" her father asked lightly, and the crinkle of his eyes returned with a glimmer, teasing the edges of his pale gaze.

"Nah, jus' givin' ya da same treatment as ye always gave us, Pops." was her easy answer, smirking and now leaning a lil more again her chair. "A mean, am pretty confident ye'd like Cade. N it'll be 'ard ta hate St- Rain too."

At the mention of their father meeting Rain, she could tell that her words had stroked her brother the right way, and Esteban grinned wide by her side, standing back upright of all his length as he leaned his weight over their table. Thank fucking god it was sturdy. The dragon hardly noticed how the surface was braced as he cheered, groaning lightly as his grin widened while he chatted happily.

"Yer gonna love 'er, dad!" He'd even returned to calling him 'dad' instead of 'Henry'; something they'd meant to outgrow as they did in independence, but this was too close-- to precious, and Esteban shared it with his father with all the boundless joy of a son. "She's tiny and meek, but she tries so hard, an' she really really cares about others-- she keeps on doin' these careful, selfless acts and always give the best of herself to other peeps-- hell, she even saw me big and tall and all she asked was if I was cold because of the snow-- remember? A month an' a 'alf 'go when we got lots'a snow?" Oh, hell, his babble had even reared its head, something he'd never managed to outgrow. Excited, Esteban could talk fast enough that the torrent of his thoughts burst like from a dam, and his tongue couldn't quite keep up-- syllables missing to the call when he went this fast.

It took everything for his lil' sis not to scoff, chuckle even less laugh out loud to his display. Not in love, my ass- she thought. A hand covered her mouth casually to hide her large grin, turning her head away to keep as low a profile she could right then.

Man was her brother all kinds of oblivious.

A look she could share with her father, who had managed, this time, to keep his laughter away better than his previous bout. He smiled pleasantly to his young protégé, but they could all see that it was just a little too bright, and a little too-- much, really, and Esteban's cheeks grew darker before he sat back down, not quite sullen but... something. Something akin to embarrassment-- the miracle that that would be. Hah!

"Shit... Wish A could take a pic o' dat face..." his sister snickered, considering the rarity of his current demeanour was.

"Not 'nless y' have a deathwish," was his retort, the blood rushing through his cheeks even as he tried to hide it, furthering his denial with a stubborn "it's not like that," before Henry called them both back to attention. Trapped between both his father and his sister's gaze, Esteban shrank as best he could have ever done-- a feat for the behemoth that he was. Too tall and too bulky for such tactics, his frame made a ridicule of his attempt, but Henry allowed it, returning instead, to his daughter while his son composed himself.

"Do you know what Cadeyrn would like as a whole? I am afraid that I lack much knowledge of his preferences, little duckie, other," he paused, his smile returning, "than the one for your neck." She hadn't been able to hide that bruise, and Cadeyrn's gaze as he dropped her off that next afternoon had rocked fire down between her legs, just before he'd kissed her goodbye. Sore, bruised, and hellishly satisfied, Celestia had walked to what she had thought to be an empty home, only to have her father greet her at the door, surprised to see her as well-- and astonished at the marks that had remained onto her skin.

"Aow geez, ye saw dat lil gift 'e gave?" her smirk was wider, not quite embarrassed about that small display. Anyway, it would've been suspicious simply trying to hide it. She hummed as she thought through her lover's preferences, and sorting through what she deemed safe to share or not. However, considering Henry was her father, he would have the right to know a few things.

"Well, Cade likes good food, could say 'e's quits da connoisseur on da matter, but he ain't picky. But 'e is a bit on da fancy side~" she chuckled as she recalled the elaborate meals he would make.

Henry merely nodded, slowly gathering his thoughts to himself at the little bit of information that she had shared, before he turned to Esteban. "And what about Rain?" he asked her softly, leaving the question open for his golden-bronze boy to answer however he wished. Esteban's glance was bright, even though he pretended to think it through, as though he were still wounded by their earlier teases. Embarrassment he may have had, but he was far from it now, even though he kept the appearance of hunched shoulders and a sobbing stance. His casual poutiness didn't fool his audience, but Esteban laid it on thick regardless, pondering, as if it took him great effort to know.

A hum, before a weak attempt at anything was made. "Coffee, maybe?" So casual, so blazé, that it couldn't be anything else than deeply important, imperative almost, for the dragon to have this for his little ward. If only to cheer her through what might be a very tense soirée.

"Jus'... Coffee?" asked the cadette, confused at how relevant that would be for their father. Certainly, there was something else she would like and seeing as how eager he was simply talking about her, there was little reason to believe that was all he knew. Unless he kept things to himself much as she did.

Not impossible.

Henry did not manage to hide his lips fast enough into the bend of his elbow, pretending a cough again at his little boy's shenanigans. He'd heard of course that his tiny lover enjoyed the dark drink, but Esteban was a poor judge if he thought it would be the only and best thing that his father could make that would use the bitter grain. Ah, well, there could be a number of things to go with it after all-- and he'd keep it a surprise for later.

"I shall make sure we have a yummy one," their father managed after a suspicious bout of coughing which Esteban... hardly saw through as usual-- breaking his melancholy to look worriedly at their father, though a smile and a wave from the older man was enough to placate him.

The worry her brother showed always was nice to witness, considering how much of a playboy act he liked to uphold. But through the thick head and easy charm, Esteban had a heart of gold, a trait she found more than endearing from her brother. Just too bad it was laid to waste by both opportunistic bitches and his dense sense of observation.

"Thanks Pops. A'll go tell Cade jus' ta make sure 'e has an open slot fer us" Cel added with her wide toothy grin, somewhat proud to the thought of inviting her boyfriend over.

Henry's gaze turned serious again even as he nodded-- but Celestia was held back for a moment more, as he edged a gentle "come back when you are done." It may have been kind-- but his daughter knew an order when she heard one-- and that her only parent had his reasons into calling such a demand. What it was, however, he did not divulge. Not just yet.

"Sure Pops!" she called out as she reached for her phone and almost eagerly composed Cade's number, going into her room to have the privacy needed if her would answer.

Her door had hardly closed-- and her phone had rang once-- twice, as she threw herself on the plush mattress of her bed, stretching out across it and letting her feet dangle down the extra length. The click of the answer snapped her away from the purple bedspread, and Cadeyrn's voice, thin from the device, but his voice nonetheless-- low and purring, greeted her gently as he called out.

"Hello, gorgeous~" His tone slid along her skin in a caress, even through the distance, and Cadeyrn breathed deeply on the other side, neither a sigh nor a disappointed sound; just a deep breath, as if he could imagine her scent still clinging to his clothes. Out, his breath rushed, and she heard the distant sound of a horn honking behind him-- a din in the quiet peace that seemed to surround her lover.

"'ey dere,'andsome~" she answered in a similar tone, the smile she bore translating into the honeyed tone her voice had taken. " 'ope am not callin' at a bad time?" she then asked, considering the sound she caught on the other side of the line.

She heard a shuffle on his end, and the sound of something closing-- and the wind died down until she could no longer hear it. Funny, she hadn't heard the wind until it had been whisked away, and with a few more sounds, she could tell that Cadeyrn had lied down as well, hearing the low din of his music better now that she could isolate where he was. His home; immaculate as always, lying down on his bed, his hair dishevelled and his stubble growing a little thicker-- he'd mentioned he needed to shave soon, to her grim disappointment.

"Mm, never. But if you feel guilty about it, I am all ears for you to make it a good time~" her lover flirted shamelessly, though hardly heard him shuffle any more than this, quiet for a second, another, before-- "Is everything okay?" He hadn't expected her call after all-- though he was delighted that she had, and his arm trailed on the side of the bed that he could no longer sleep in, imagining her sprawled across the dark blue covers, watching him. Bronze skin, peppered with darker stars, and eyes a mere sliver of gold in the darkness, gold and luscious red lips, which she'd traced across his knuckles. His heart clenched lightly at the thought. He'd missed her more than he'd thought, if only a call from her would wrestle his thoughts to such simplicity.

"Everythin's fine, Boo, dontcha worry yer sexy lil' head 'bout me~" she spoke softly as she shifted upon her stomach, feet kicking in the air childishly, eager and glad to hear from her lover. She somewhat guessed the reason for his question, as it was unusual for her to call at all, but her actual reason was the best excuse for it.

"Jus' wanted ta invite ya over, actually," she started casually. "Well, more like Pops wanna meetcha, so 'e's invitin' ya over on Friday. Think y'could make it? Also, gotta say in advance dat Steb's also invitin' a plus one, although 'e's too damn thick ta understand 'ow much 'e actually likes 'er. Man, A would've slapped 'im a couple o' time, A swear!" She scoffed, almost babbling like her brother would through the excitement of this simple conversation with Cade. Man, she acted so much like a love-sick teenager; good thing no one was there to witness it.

"The sparrow one with black hair?" her lover asked, hardly surprised at her comment, although he made a quick mental check to remind himself what was there to be on Friday. He'd have the trash to take out, and the floors to wash-- but these were simple tasks, and he was not so worried about it-- unless... "What time?" It would be useful to know after all.

"Well, since it's fer dinner, probs like late after-noon or sum'thin'. So like, four-thirty? Five? Sum'thin' like dat." She wasn't too sure what a proper time would be to come over, but she figured this to be reasonable. "O' course, y'can come on over earlier if ye'd like~" Spending as much time as possible with him sounded like a neat idea. "N yeah, dat gurl. Rain's 'er name. Y'should've seen Steb earlier- got so damned defensive over 'er, 'e didn' want ta leave ya in da same room wit' her."

"I'm not the wild dog in the room," came Cadeyrn's dry response, though he soon amended it with a softer, kinder regard towards the dragon. "Though I suppose if he wishes to protect her that blatantly he'll have to face his own feelings soon. I'd tease them both to see if he might finally catch on, but I wouldn't really want to be this callous." Not when he was about to meet her dad for the first time at least. The words were foreign to the young man, considering them as the silence settled after his casually tossed comment-- he was going to meet her father. Officially meet him. He brushed the thought aside for later.

"Dress code?"

"None" He could hear her grin from his side of the phone, somewhat expecting a smartass quip from her lover. That thought aside, she wouldn't mind seeing him well dressed. Suits fit him to an impossible T which had her mentally drool at the mere thought.

"Birthday suits, then? Quite a bold choice if I may say so-- but of course, nothing can be hidden either; not even contraceptives." Of course, she could also hear his own grin, in his tone, in his voice. There was a brush of fabric against fabric on his side, and Cadeyrn shifted, the tickle of a soft sound gently echoing in her ear as he softly chuckled, before he went on. "Though, it would get very, very private, very fast, Elia. Your father might not appreciate that."

"Well, A could tell da others 'n make dis a nudist reunion at dis point," she joked back, knowing full well that neither of them wished to see the others naked, _thankyouverymuch_. But his little lover couldn't but snicker at the very idea. "N dere's always sum' place ya could 'ide dose condoms, Boo~" she then added, not shy to add more to the unasked images.

"Dreadful thought," her lover mock-cursed, before his grin faded away, concern shifting into place as he lingered on her words, wondering. "Should I bring anything for the table?" he asked, pondering away at what it was that he could bring. "I have a recipe for quite an unusual salad if none of you mind watermelon." Another slow breath on his side, then a shift and some clicks, indicating that her boyfriend had snagged his computer closer, although he didn't say what for.

"Pops' providin' all da food, but A guess ya can bring sum specialty 'round if ye'd like. Or maybe sum' wine or stuff like dat could be good. Ta be fair, A don't think he expectin' anythin'." He could also hear a shift from her side as she slumped her upper body more upon her bed. "Jus' be dere 'n look like yerself is all dat's asked, really. It's gonna be real casual, so dere's no need ta make a shoe outta yerself. Ye're a respectable guy, 'fterall. I'm da only one who know da kinky parts."

The din of the phone could not hide his snort even if he tried to hide it. He hadn't. The click of his keyboard resumed before dimming down, something soft and quiet, before he shifted it away. More scuffling from her lover could be heard, before he whispered softly an agreement. "Alright, Friday evening, after four but before five, dress smart but not too much, and don't diss out dragon-breath. Am I staying the night?" her lover asked, his voice shifting in a way that she couldn't quite identify.

"A wouldn't say no~ Jus' a warnin' dat da walls aren't soundproof 'ere~" she mused, knowing full well what could happen if he did remain at her place. "'ope y'don' mind gothic decor," she then chuckled, wondering what her lover would think about her room choice.

"Better keep your voice down then, Elia.~" His tone had gone low, darker; quiet almost, but not so that she had trouble hearing him. She could almost see the way his eyes had slanted as he spoke, lidded until nothing more than a sliver of silver was framed by dark black lashes. His chuckle returned again, low and gentle, but she didn't need to see his face to know that he would not remain in his more teasing mood.

"And I don't mind about the decor-- rather I'm curious." He hadn't seen her room before after all; not when they weren't known for their control-- and although he didn't think they'd gained that much of it, he was confident enough to think that this time around, they could sleep side by side without waking up the whole neighbourhood without soundproofed walls.

"Den be ready ta see a mess!" she proudly claimed as she smiled widely from the other side of the phone, a detail even her lover can hear. That said, she was planning on cleaning up for his sake, if only to keep her lover from bleeding from the eyes.

Silence replaced her lover's greed for conversation. Pure, stifling silence. She could tell that he hadn't hung up, though it wasn't by much-- something playing low on his side, a jazz number from a cd that she'd shared a few weeks ago with him. But he was there otherwise, just... judging her at a distance.

"If I must subject myself to it," her lover returned at long last, his voice as dead as she had ever heard it.

"Sorry Boo~" she somewhat apologized as she did not feel it to be such an important matter. "We can't all be perfect like y'are!" A giggle slipped her lips then, enjoying the slight tease beyond the compliment his way, wondering if he would sigh or have his ego flattered enough to let go of the subject of her messy room.

"Some of us need a little more work," there was laughter behind his taunt, but it wasn't unkind. Something soft and gentle, and hopeful, the kind of regard she knew he held for her. His voice lingered again after his laugh-- low and uplifting, sweet even, as he called back to her. "And watching you grow, Elia... I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Watchin' me grow... Gee, ya make it sound like A'm a kid, like, A know we 'ave a 'uge age gap but still..." She did sound slightly annoyed by his call, no matter how lighthearted it might've been. She couldn't understand his point of view there; she was a full grown adult for all she knew, and damn smarter than anyone else her age- so there was nothing for him to see grow.

"Oh _please_ ," he huffed, not insulted, but-- "If someone is not growing, then they're stagnating. There is no such thing as a fixed self, and we are all pushing through what we can and trying to reach for what little sunlight this world brings us." But that wasn't quite what he'd meant to say.

"Your growth, Celestia, is one that I am very interested in. Not because you're my child but because you are my equal. Your growth fuels my growth. Seeing you reach for the things you love and become confident and brimming with energy? It pushes me to reach for the things that I love and to overcome what lays ahead. So yes, I want to see you grow. I want to see you shine in that sunlight, Celestia-- because I want to stand there with you."

... Wow.

Well, this definitely wasn't something she'd expected him to answer back, and her reaction was certainly late, unsure how to respond to it. Seeing how non-condescending this actually was, she felt awkward and guilty of her reaction, pouting lightly to her own attitude on the matter. "Yeaaaah, said like dat, guess A can get it... 'ow da fuck can ya make things sound so serious n cute at da same time, geez..." it wasn't a reprimand, more like embarrassment towards her own thoughts.

"Because I know what I want," was his easy answer, and she could sense the edge of a teasing smile onto his lips, no matter the distance between them. "And I have a history of getting it," he added, and the light chuff at the end of his sentence was a little more mocking, bitter almost. Still. Silence replaced his words for a moment, a quiet contemplation of the things they'd both said.

"I love you, Celestia."

It came as a murmur, so soft, but clear. Neither threat nor flirt, he didn't use the lower, teasing voice that usually went with when they were playing one another, just his voice, just a silken, crystal-clear whisper, against the jazz music din of the background. It had been implied-- of course she'd known but-- but. He didn't wait for her to say it back.

"I'll be there on Friday. And I'll even promise to behave so long as your brother doesn't sicken me with his puppy eyes-- though _that_ is a fat chance," his chuckle returned, light and gentle; completely at ease, even with what he said. Despite what he said? Or maybe he knew her too well-- maybe he knew of how hard it was for her to say it back. So he gave her a way out. "So I'll see you then, alright?"

No matter how his little lover wasn't much as ease with displays of affection, she still could feel her heart swell to her boyfriend's words, understanding the emotions and sincerity within them. It made her smile and blush and pout, and smile again, chuckling lightly after he had drawn their conversation to its conclusion. 

"...Yeah, see ya Friday. Can't wait 'til den..." A pause, quick as she did not wish for him to hang up before she had her last words to say. 

"... Luv ya, Boo." It was soft and spoken almost in a breath, but... but she had to say it.

He lingered in the words, quiet, but she could hear the smile in his soft agreeing hum. He didn't return the words again-- didn't need to as they'd just uttered them back and forth and-- and he needed to quieten his thundering heart. His soft worded goodbye was the last he dared utter, and after her own reply, Cadeyrn ended the call, lying down once more so he could calm the tempest of his emotions. The smile still wouldn't leave him though.


End file.
